Tips: Chemo Beauty Tips

This seems like an oxymoron, but I know it is something women ask about. How do I make myself look and feel a little more normal when I feel like a total pile of mud. Chemo treatment is a time when you learn that yoga pants don’t always have to be used for yoga, they can be used for other things – like sleeping, watching TV, and just lounging around the house drooling on yourself (I would never do that… drool…). Lately I also discovered the lovely world of leggings, which to me are the same concept for when I lost a ton of cancer weight, but they forced me to wear a cuter top than a t-shirt, so I looked less like I had just rolled out of bed.

So, I am going to cover some of the basics. There are more. Makeups, creams, stuff I am not an expert in (maybe I will work on getting some and trying them out and share).

What to do with that noggin?

Take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror. Did you know you are beautiful bald? Believe it or not you are. The longer I am bald, the less I am giving a crap about covering my head up as much (my neighbors have all seen me wandering around my yard bald by now and I don’t wear anything at home, but this is MY comfort zone, it doesn’t have to be YOUR comfort zone).

It’s OK to wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable and confident when you have treatment-induced hair loss. Last year, I felt beautiful in a wig; this year, I feel comfortable in hats or hairless. Try out different things, because there are a lot of different options out there! – @cultperfectmoms Blog: cultofperfectmotherhood.com

I do genuinely feel more feminine and lovely when I wear a scarf over other head coverings. Scarves also are much better for that one thing that plagues most of us – hot flashes. They keep in the least amount of heat. So I usually try to stock up on lovely scarves in a variety of colors and designs. There are a lot of cute hats out there too.

Pollys Ponytails

This isn’t a sponsored plug. I found out about these in one of my groups and ordered them. I was looking for something that made me look like I had hair, without the expense and work of a wig. For $40 I got a cute ponytail that is attached to a headband. Pollys Ponytails are much more comfortable than a wig, less styling options, and have been a great “I am not obviously in chemo” look for public when I just want to slap something on my head and go out to do something.

Wigs

Wigs are fun. You can try a whole new look or find something more like your old self. Check with your insurance, sometimes they will reimburse you for a wig (my doctor wrote me a prescription). Turns out, mine didn’t reimburse. I bought one the first time around but didn’t really wear it. I found it uncomfortable. I did get a free human hair wig from While You Heal for modeling at a PR event. This wig has been much more comfortable than my old one, because it was professionally styled it looks nicer too (do know that you can take almost any wig you buy to a stylist and they can cut it for you to help give it a more polished look). I like having a wig for events that I want to look really nice for and definitely want to cover up the obvious cancer look. I can’t seem to make myself an every day wig wearer, it just doesn’t work for me.

Big Earrings

I can’t remember who told me this before my early stage treatment, but they told me to try big earrings to add a touch of feminine flare when I wanted to feel a bit more flashy. Saint Vintage sent me a pair of earrings for free (so this part is sponsored because of that) to try out. The owner/creator is a two time cancer survivor and donates 50% of profits to Stand up to Cancer from each sale. For the month of June they are offering 15% off with the code: DGLOVE – I am also doing a $100 gift card giveaway at the bottom of this post.

50% of sales go to Stand Up to Cancer

50% of sales go to Stand Up to Cancer

I have hair now but I have been bald before and breast-less at the same time. I always wore big huge hoop earrings! I felt like it took attention away from the scarf. Now I have my hair back and I am enjoying it while I can! I spend a fortune on getting my hair and nails done. A great pair of jeans always cheers me up too! – Melanie

Comparing my regular plain earrings with some nice big flashy ones. Love the feminine oomph.

Comparing my regular plain earrings with some nice big flashy ones. Love the feminine oomph.

Makeup

If you haven’t heard about Look Good Feel Better look it up and see if you can join one near you. It is an excellent opportunity to get nice FREE makeup for your skin tone, meet some other ladies and learn some tips and tricks like – how to draw eyebrows – and how to do your makeup while you are in treatment.

Pampering

Home manicures and pedicures
My nails are peeling off and I can’t go do one of  my favorite things – a pedicure. AGGHH!!! Compromised immune systems suggest avoiding nail salons. My friend brought me blue toenail polish since it was on my list (in two lovely shades of blue). I found that does a great job of hiding my poor beat up toenails. I am going to learn how to do a full pedicure this summer (maybe pamper myself with a pedicure kit). What I am taking a long way of saying is – find ways to do the little things that make you feel good and look good that you enjoy – even if it isn’t how you normally liked to do them.

Take hot baths

Sometimes you need to take a time out. Light a scented candle and just soak. I hate to admit this, but did you know that the bath is also a good place to just cry too? It can be a good place to just let out some of those pent up emotions you may be holding back (play some music and just go with the flow).

I find taking Epson salts bath really helps me relax and feel good. The Epson salts really does relax the muscles I do it before I sleep and it really helps. – Laura Lancia

It is perfectly ok to look like you just rolled out of bed, I do it all of the time, but there are a lot of options for the days that you want to feel just a little more normal – and add a little more pep to your step. Add your suggestions in the comments below, I would love to hear other ideas!

Also, don’t forget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author: Mandi

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